The Summer War

When war broke out between Germany and the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, many Estonians escaped into forests to aid the liberation of Estonia from Soviet occupation.^[2][3] During the Summer War, the Forest Brothers liberated various cities and towns in Estonia.^[4] The largest battles took place around Timmkanal, as well as Tartu, where the Forest Brothers repelled the Soviet forces on July 10, 1941.^[5]

After 1944

By November 25, 1944, the territory of Estonia was completely occupied by the Red Army. By the autumn of that year, thousands of Estonian soldiers, former Wehrmacht officers, and members of the Omakaitse had taken refuge in the forest. Former employees of the Soviet administration and people evading conscription into the Red Army hid alongside them.

Their uniforms combined elements of the uniforms of the former Estonian army, the Wehrmacht, and civilian clothing. They were armed mainly with infantry weapons that the Germans left behind when they were pushed back. Groups of Forest Brothers consisted of five to ten people, with whom several dozen accomplices in the local population were associated.

The Soviet command and the government of the Estonian SSR created forces to fight underground resistance movements. The 5th Infantry Division of the Internal Troops of the NKVD, stationed in Latvia under the command of Major General Pyotr Leontiev, extended its operations to Estonia. Estonian destruction battalions (comprising 5,300 men) were also formed.

Arnold Veimer received a petition from the chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Estonian SSR to evict the families of "traitors to the Motherland, traitors, and other hostile elements". In August 1945, 407 civilians, most of them of German descent, were transferred from Estonia to Perm Oblast. An additional 18 families (51 persons) were transferred to Tyumen Oblast in October, 37 families (87 persons) in November, and 37 families (91 persons) in December.

In 1945, NKVD troops and destruction battalions killed 432 Estonian freedom fighters and arrested 584 people, including 449 supporters of the partisans. At the same time, 56 policemen, soldiers, and officers of the NKVD troops; 86 fighter squad members; and 141 pro-Soviet activists were killed. The anti-Soviet partisan war in Estonia continued until 1953. Up to 30,000 people joined the Forest Brothers.

Ants Kaljurand

Forest Brother Ants "The Terrible" Kaljurand served as the local leader^{[citation needed]} of the RVL, a partisan organization founded by Endel Redlich. Kaljurand was arrested in 1949 and executed in March 1951.^[6]

Forest Brothers of Võrumaa

The Forest Brothers of Võrumaa were sent to destroy large Soviet KGB units, leading to several battles between the KGB forces and the Forest Brothers. Although losses were borne by both sides, most battles resulted in greater losses for the Soviet forces.

Battle of Osula

The Battle of Osula (Estonian: Osula lahing), or Battle of Määritsa, took place in the village of Osula in Sõmerpalu Parish from March 31 to April 1, 1946. The battle between the Forest Brothers and the Soviet KGB forces on Hendrik Farm was one of the largest in the county. Seven Forest Brothers, five men and two women, took part in the engagement. The exact number of KGB soldiers involved was unknown, but up to 300 participated. The battle lasted seven hours; near the end, the partisans ran out of ammunition and the house caught fire. Two Forest Brothers were killed during the battle and the rest died in the house fire.^[7]

A letter was found in the flue of the house's furnace. It read:

"Estonian People! Today, on 1 April 1946, we, the Estonian partisans, fought against the traitors of the Estonian people. We resisted about ~ 8 hours. Estonian people, fight just as firmly for the freedom and independence of the Estonian people. Long live free Estonia and the Estonian people!"

Battle of Saika Bunker

The Battle of Saika Bunker [et] (Estonian: Saika punkrilahing) occurred in the village's forest on March 7, 1951.

Eight Forest Brothers and an unknown number of KGB guards took part in the battle. It was the first major conflict between the Forest Brothers and MGB forces in the Vastseliina region. MGB soldiers came to capture the bunker from two sides: from the village of Mauri towards Saika and from the village of Rebäse towards Saika.

Around 10 am, gunshots broke out and could be heard from the forest in the nearby villages. The battle lasted around four hours. Five MGB soldiers were killed in the engagement along with six Forest Brothers. August Kuus and Richard Vähi, the two surviving partisans, later died in a 1953 battle in Puutli.^[8]

A memorial stone was opened in 2007 to honor the six Forest Brothers who died in the engagement.^[9]

Battle of Puutlipalu

The Battle of Puutlipalu Bunker [et] (Estonian: Puutlipalu lahing) took place in Puutli, Võru County on March 29, 1953, when KGB officers raided a bunker occupied by Forest Brothers at 9 am. The siege lasted almost three hours. When the Forest Brothers were wounded, they set off their grenades to prevent them from being used by KGB forces. Eight Forest Brothers, Richard Vähi, Karl Kaur, August Kuus, August Kurra, Leida Grünthal, Endel Leimann, Lehte-Kai Ojamäe, and Ilse Vähi, were killed in the battle.^[10]

After the battle, the bunker was burned by security. The bodies of the dead partisans were taken for identification and buried at the edge of the Ristimäe forest.^[11]